90’s German Techno Stars & Powerful PSAs: 5 Video Ads You Should Watch Right Now
A group of young Italian boys restore faith in humanity, while a German techno star of the 90’s helps a supermarket sell fish.
Yep, it’s weird, but that’s what makes Ad Land so great.
Here’s Unruly’s pick of the ads that caught the eye of the web this week.
Enjoy!
5. McDonald’s – Archenemies
Whereas Coca-Cola regularly make claims to solve entrenched national divides with the help of fizzy drinks, McDonald’s has kept remarkably humble with its goals. That is, until now.
With its latest spot ‘Archenemies’ (a very punny play on their iconic Golden Arches), the fast food chain aims to reunite the world’s most famous adversaries. There’s Batman making up with the Joker, Democrats and Republicans resolving their differences and Mario and Bowser palling around. It’s a veritable ‘Who’s Who’ of “How did they get the rights to this?”
While I’m not sure if a Happy Meal can put a smile on Grumpy Cat’s face, McDonald’s are certainly embracing their lovin’ branding.
4. Porsche 911 – Sportiness and Safety
http://youtu.be/-96taQ5C690
Sportiness may not sound like a real world, but the boffins at Porsche take it very seriously. The dizzyingly informative spot for their latest roadster goes out of its way to explain just how much sportiness one vehicle can contain. And also safety, but we’ll get to that.
Knowing next to nothing about cars, the spot careened wildly over my head once the voiceover started talking about ‘brake pressure’ and ‘callipers’. Thankfully, there’s the industry-standard shots of beautiful cars in beautiful landscapes, so that’s something to hang on to.
The spot also makes a strong case for the 911’s safety features, though to be honest, they seem a little unnecessary when you’re in the secluded countryside, not another car to be seen. If Porsche can cough up some footage of the 911 pelting it down the M1 during rush hour, then we can talk about safety.
3. EDEKA – Hyper Gunstig Einkaufen
http://youtu.be/IdEH_ZBv-WQ
If you hadn’t heard of German techno legend H.P. Baxxter before today, then you and I have a lot in common. That being the case, allow supermarket chain EDEKA to educate you on the topic, with the help of some flashing lights and a bit of top-level stage diving.
Baxxter, who seems to be Germany’s answer to Fatboy Slim, is casually grocery shopping when he’s spotted by some ardent fans. Things are all fairly under control until Baxxter shouts “How much is the fish?”, which Google reveals was a massive dance hit in 1998. It doesn’t get any more reasonable from there.
If this hasn’t made any sense at all, I encourage you to watch the ad yourself with your best German-English dictionary in hand.
2. British Heart Foundation – Wear It. Beat It.
Returning to PSAs, British Heart Foundation provides a touching and simple look at the young people affected by heart disorders of all kinds. Shot plainly in a classroom, the film shows children trying to pronounce their particular disorder, whose complex names they inevitably stumble over.
At only a minute in length, ‘Wear It. Beat It’ succinctly explains the disjunct between the severity of these conditions and the ages of those who suffer from them. The title refers to a simultaneous campaign to encourage members of the public to wear red on February 6th in order to raise awareness for British Heart Foundation and its associated charities.
1. Fanpage – What happens when you put a boy in front of a girl and tell him to slap her?
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Among the many things social media has changed in the way we consume information, the humble PSA doesn’t get enough press. The Public Service Announcement used to be solely a tool for states and institutions to disseminate information deemed vital to the general public, but the Internet has democratised the format considerably.
Despite an unwieldy title ‘What Happens When…’ is the latest in a trend of lo-fi PSAs to set the social web alight, attracting over 1.5 million shares in the three days since its release. The previous benchmark for this is October’s ’10 Hours Of Walking In NYC As A Woman’, which prompted myriad parodies and op-ed columns.
The spot itself, produced by internet newspaper Fanpage.it, addresses the difficult subject of domestic violence through the unconventional method of interviewing young Italian boys.
